On May 19 we had our consultation with the plastic surgeon. It was a long day for Gavin, since we had to wait 2 hours to see the surgeon! We were told that Dr. Martin is very high-demand and, in addition to his regular appointments, he also takes all the trauma patients who come into the hospital. The day we saw him, he had already seen 50 other patients!
During our consultation, he explained that Gavin will probably only require one surgery, not two or three like we had originally been told. Phew! What a relief! That was so wonderful to hear. I hate the idea of having to put him through even one surgery, but it's still much better than two or three. Dr. Martin also said that in 97% of cases, the bone in the gum area will repair itself after the lip repair is done. I guess once the lip is repaired, it will pull the gums down over time. Hmmm... very interesting. I asked if he would still be able to breastfeed right after the surgery and Dr. Martin said yes. He said it may be a bit irritating on his stitches, but it should be okay. I also asked if we could both stay overnight with Gav in the hospital, but Loma Linda only allows one parent to stay overnight, just like Riverside Community Hospital where Gavin was admitted for dehydration. It's rough being without Matt overnight, but I am feeling much more confident as a mom now, so I know I can handle it.
So Gavin's surgery is scheduled for June 15, one day before his 3-month birthday. We are nervous and excited!
Hooray on the breastfeeding after surgery!! And WOW on the possibility of the gum not needing to be fixed down the road!!!
ReplyDeleteRemember, Matt can stay overnight in the Family Room down the hall from you in Gavin's room when you're at LL overnight. It's not the same as in the same room, but still better than being all the way at home.